I just met you (but you took my breath away)
by TheWritingManiac
Summary: In which Annabeth meets this random guy in Central Park, and somehow they just seem to click. Or, the one where Percy finds a pair of sunglasses, and it might have been the best find of his life. Percabeth AU, complete.
1. Chapter 1

There was something unnerving about him.

It wasn't necessarily how he looked – about seventeen, muscular, browned skin, sea-green eyes and scruffy black hair. It wasn't the way he sat, inconspicuously blending with the rest of the busy New York residents on a sagging bench in Central Park, watching people busily scrambling by, checking their phones and taking no notice of the beautiful sunshine in the middle of the crowded city. It wasn't even the way he hadn't touched his hotdog, sitting greasy and delicious on an oily paper next to him; Annabeth couldn't stand wasted food.

No, the guy made her uncomfortable with the cautious way he gazed at her, unblinking and alert as a cat ready to spring.

Annabeth shivered unknowingly, tired of the feeling of being watched that he gave her. She was in New York, mingling with millions of others on the crowded sidewalks. Absolutely no reason for him to single her out.

Then she _really_ got creeped out. He actually got up from the bench and began walking toward her.

A normal person would probably have walked away. A paranoid person might have screamed for help. But Annabeth was neither normal nor paranoid. More like crazy. So she calmly finished her sandwich, gazing out over the trees rustling in the wind, feeling the sun on her back and sweat beginning to creep down her neck.

"Excuse me?"

Annabeth turned. The young man was now right next to her. Resisting the urge to jump out of her skin, she smiled a bit hurriedly. "Hello, do you need something?"

The other teen smiled. Annabeth distractedly found herself noticing that he had a nice smile. "You dropped these."

In his hand were her sunglasses. "Oh, thanks," laughed Annabeth nervously, taking the sunglasses and sliding them on top of her head. She half-hoped the boy would leave, and to her annoyance, half-hoped he would stay. Surprisingly, he did.

"Do you live around here?" he asked, sitting down on the edge of the bench next to her.

"Yeah, for now," Annabeth replied, somewhat cautiously.

"I live a couple of blocks away from here, with my mom," the young man replied, grinning. "So what's your name?"

"Annabeth," she answered. "Yours?"

"Percy Jackson," he replied easily. "Are you doing anything of importance right now?"

"Well, I'm supposed to be working on an architectural report for school," Annabeth admitted sheepishly. "But my mind doesn't want to focus on it right now, I think."

He smiled. Annabeth refused to acknowledge to herself how cute and infectious his grin was. And nope, those sea-green eyes were definitely not making her blush. Certainly not.

"You're interested in architecture?" Percy asked. "That's cool. I don't really understand stuff like that, to be honest, but it's still cool."

Annabeth found herself laughing, and what? She _never_ laughed like this, a breathless giggle combined with flushed cheeks that were due to more than just the warm Indian-summer day. "At least you're honest, right? What are you interested in?"

He shrugged, grinning. "Well, I enjoyed being on the swim team last year. Tryouts for this year are next Wednesday, I think, so I'll be doing that again."

Annabeth answered, and somehow she and Percy slipped into a conversation about the most random things, and _oh_ _look_ she was blushing again at his passing comment that her blonde curls "looked like a princess", and then he was blushing too and they were laughing together. And it was strange because Annabeth didn't _make_ friends this easily and she didn't even like to talk to people, certainly not random guys on the streets of New York and this shouldn't be happening but somehow it just _was,_ and it was so easy to talk with Percy –

"And since I'm currently a bit at a loss for fun right now as well, do you want to hang out?" Percy asked, jerking her back to their conversation.

Annabeth hesitated. It probably wasn't a smart thing to do, hang out with a random boy from the streets of New York that she had met literally thirty minutes ago. But she felt drawn to him, in a way she couldn't explain. Not just because he was pretty good-looking – although that surely was part of it, she admitted sheepishly to herself. No, there was something else. He was sweet and cute and innocent, and honestly it felt so good to have a friend to hang out with that her mind didn't even put up much of a fight. Her dad wouldn't care what she did or what time she would be back, so what did she have to lose? She still had three days before the report was due.

Slowly, she nodded. "Sure. I'm game. Whatcha wanna do?"

He gestured toward the hotdog stand across the road. "First, I'm starved. I took one bite of the hot dog I got from there, a dog ran through my legs, I fell flat on my face and it rolled into the sand. Not the dog, my food." He paused to grin wryly, and Annabeth was laughing out loud. "Anyway, the bite I did have was pretty good. Are you hungry?"

They walked across the street and grabbed two hotdogs and sodas. Despite Annabeth's protests, Percy paid. With their lunch in hand, they walked back to where the sand started and began to walk down the lakefront.

"So where do you live?" Percy asked, taking a bite of his hotdog.

"Well, I'm from San Francisco, but I'm finishing high school here and then going on to major in Architecture at NYU," she replied truthfully.

"Cool," he answered. "What grade you in? Eleventh?"

Annabeth nodded, her mouth full. She swallowed and asked, "You?"

"Twelfth," he answered. The conversation continued in like manner as they walked down the beach, eating and laughing. The rest of the afternoon flew by.

When they parted, Percy smiled hopefully. "You doing anything tomorrow?"

"No, actually," Annabeth replied, guiltily pushing away the thoughts of the report into the back of her mind.

"Would you like to meet at that coffee shop by Central Park?" he asked. "We could grab some coffee and just hang out for a while. I – I mean, I don't have much homework yet or anything since school just started a few weeks ago, and swim team doesn't start until Wednesday – "

Annabeth grinned. "Be there are 11. Oh, and here's my phone number," she added, scribbling it down on a piece of paper. Percy accepted it with a smile and gave her his, then walked down back down the sidewalk.

(And no, Annabeth certainly did not watch him walk away with a little secret smile on her face and skip the rest of the way to the elevator and all the way to her room. Definitely not.)

The rest of the night, Annabeth's mind argued with itself. _You have a report to work on! You need to devote all your attention to it! Architectural scholarships, Annabeth. Remember, you need top-of-the-line grades to have even a hope of a grant._

But the other part wasn't exactly happy about it. _Percy is a really nice guy. You've been working too hard, Annabeth. You deserve a break._

 _No!_ her practical side disputed. _You have to finish this report. You have to get this scholarship._

 _Oh, shut up,_ Annabeth told it. _I want to go tomorrow. I'll finish the report later._

And she went to bed, thinking only of Percy's bright smile, and how he threw his head back when he laughed, and the way the sun caught in his black hair and made it glint as though created of obsidian.

 _You have a serious crush, Annabeth,_ her practical brain told her warningly.

Annabeth ignored it and fell asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

The first thing she saw was a cup of coffee flying towards her.

She blinked, frozen by the door of the coffee shop. The jingle of the bell had not yet died and it echoed as a dozen customers sat, staring at her coffee-saturated hair, stained, soaked clothes, and the puddle of brown liquid at her feet.

"Oh my word Annabeth!" A young man with black hair rushed up to her. "I am so, so sorry." He rapidly began sopping up the puddle. "I had just gotten my coffee and I tripped and it went flying out of my hand just as you walked in, and – "

"Um… don't worry about it," Annabeth answered, still a bit dazed. She glanced down at Percy, his chees red as strawberries, and began talking faster. "Hey, Percy, it's fine. No damage done, and I don't really care about these clothes." She glanced down at her orange t-shirt she had gotten from summer camp years ago and jean shorts. The material was saturated with hot coffee; she could be thankful she wasn't burned.

A waitress rushed from behind the counter with more napkins. "Are you ok, ma'am?"

Annabeth laughed, beginning to find the situation funny. "I'm totally fine, don't worry about it," she answered. She reached down and grasped Percy's hand, lifting him to his feet. "And Percy, it's totally fine."

Percy's apple-red cheeks began to fade. "If – if you want you can go back to your dad's apartment and change."

"Nah, it's a bit of a walk from here," Annabeth replied, stooping and picking up the damp napkins. The buzz of talk began to rise again as the other customers started their conversations again. "How about I grab some tea and then we can just walk around?"

Percy nodded, still obviously embarrassed.

"Honey, your tea's on the house," the waitress assured her. "What kind can I get you?"

Annabeth smiled warmly at the flustered barista. "I'd love some vanilla chai, thanks."

After Annabeth had gotten her tea and Percy had sheepishly gotten more coffee, careful to watch where he was going this time, they headed out the door and began meandering down the busy sidewalk.

"Are you sure you don't want to change?" he asked anxiously. "I can take you in my car or something."

Annabeth laughed, remembering why she had agreed to come meet Percy again. His mix between flustered awkwardness and normally smooth demeanor could charm anyone. "Percy, this is New York. It'd be faster to walk. And," she continued, tugging at her damp shirt, "It's warm out, but there's a breeze. My clothes are drying already, and my hair, well, I'll just take a shower tonight."

Percy exhaled in relief. "So you're really not mad?" he asked hopefully.

Annabeth giggled, before remembering that Annabeth Chase did not giggle. _Oh well, she is now,_ she thought ruefully. When she was around Percy, she just seemed to laugh more in general. "Percy, it's totally fine. Don't worry about it."

"Ok, then," Percy answered with a lopsided grin. "So how's your assignment going? The architecture report, right?"

"You remembered," she answered, surprised and a little touched that he had payed attention to even the smallest of details she had divulged yesterday. "Um, it's going… great," she finished, probably not hiding her guilt too well. In truth she had been much to distracted with thoughts of Percy to work on anything last night.

His grin broadened. "You haven't worked on it, have you?"

She stopped and faced him, laughing. "How did you know?"

Percy seemed to turn a little sheepish. "I… I just guessed."

Annabeth raised her eyebrow but didn't comment. Instead, she took a sip of her tea and smiled, inhaling the smell. "Chai always reminds me of fall," she said.

"Really?" Percy asked. "Is fall your favorite season?"

"Yes," Annabeth replied without hesitation. "Well, in California there are pretty much two seasons, summer and when it rains." They laughed together. "But when I was younger, my dad and I would take an annual camping trip to Northern Washington. The leaves would be these amazing shades of red and orange and yellow, and I remember the smell of the campfires and the fallen leaves and the sky would be such a bright blue that it would hurt your eyes, and…" she found herself rambling, something she never did. Annabeth strived to make her sentences complete and proper and clipped. She was an introverted soul, hurt too many times for her to come easily out of her shell. But Percy made it so easy, she found herself wondering where he had been her whole life. They could have been best friends for years, the way she poured out memories and dreams on that short walk to Central Park, and yet she had just met him yesterday.

Percy listened silently to her descriptions of her childhood. When she had finally paused, he spoke. "That's neat how your dad took time to take you camping," he said quietly. "My dad disappeared when I was only a baby."

Annabeth could tell he didn't want pity, but her heart broke out of its shell even further as she answered softly, "I'm… I'm sorry, Percy." Immediately she cursed herself. _Don't let him get close,_ her mind whispered. _Do you want it to be like last time? Do you want him to be able to hurt you, like Luke?_ The thought was so strong that she physically raised a hand against it, as though it could be brushed away and forgotten. No, memories were hard to forget, especially her memories of Luke.

"It's ok," Percy replied, and Annabeth jerked herself back to reality. "At least I have my mom still. She's amazing." He arched his black eyebrow when he saw her clenched fist. "What's the matter?"

"Um, nothing," Annabeth stammered. "Just… just thought I saw a spider."

He laughed, and Annabeth found herself once again drawn to the young man. The sun caught in his black hair and made it glint, soft and shiny and messy-cute-bedhead. Annabeth rolled her eyes at herself. _Look at you, with the grade-school-girl crush. Percy's a great guy. But keep it at friendship. Don't let it get any farther._

"Are you afraid of spiders?" he asked.

"Deathly," she answered, mock-shuddering. "They're horrible. Even if it's a tiny one, I just completely freak out. It's weird, I know," she added, catching the look on his face.

"No, no, it's not weird," Percy answered, shaking his head. "I have a fear of flying. Like, not of being off the ground, exactly, just being… I don't know, suspended in the air ready to drop thousands of feet at any moment?"

Annabeth laughed too, a bit breathless, her cheeks flushed. "I guess I get that. It's a little more rational of a fear than spiders, though."

Percy glanced at her, and she suddenly felt shy under his gaze. "Um, what?" she asked as they sat down on a bench overlooking some of the trees of the park.

He shook his head. "Nothing. I just thought your eyes were really cool."

She smiled confusedly. "My eyes?"

"Well, yeah, I mean, you've got the blond hair and tan and you're tall and not that I was really noticing or anything but you kind of look like the girl who would live in California, but your eyes are really fierce and stormy and _wow_ I'm rambling, just forget I said anything." He ran his fingers through his hair and looked away, his cheeks fire-alarm red.

Annabeth giggled, and oh _why_ was she blushing again and _why_ did her stomach feel like a zoo of butterflies had just been released? "Um, thanks, I guess."

Percy flushed again. "Yeah. Anyway, so today's Saturday, which means I should eventually get home and start on homework. And, I mean, I don't know if you have anything else to do but maybe we could go by your apartment and you could pick up your homework, and then maybe you could help me with my calculus homework because if you like architecture you must be good at math, and no this is a stupid idea, I shouldn't have said anything."

Annabeth burst into laughter. "Of course I'll help you, dork. All I had planned for the rest of the day anyway was homework too." She stood up. "But there's no reason you should go all the way to my apartment and back. Tell you what, just text me your address. I'll run home and change and grab my stuff, then I'll go to your apartment."

Percy stood too. "Well, I don't want to put you out or anything…"

"Don't worry about it." Annabeth flashed him a grin. "Just go home and get started, and I'll be there in maybe thirty or forty-five minutes."

On her way home, Annabeth tried to argue with her mind – again. _I'm getting my homework done and am able to see Percy again,_ she contended. _It's a win-win._

 _You can't let Percy get too close. There's a reason you don't make friends easily. Just stick to school – architecture – and you'll be safe. If Percy becomes more than a friend, there's a chance he can betray you, same as Luke. Do you really want that? Are you willing to risk your heart again for a guy?_

 _Percy's not like Luke,_ she answered. _Not all guys are the same._

 _Oh yes, they are, Annabeth,_ it answered. _Wait and see._

She pushed the thought out of her mind as she reached her apartment. _I'm tired of being alone. Percy can be a friend. No more than that._

She reached her room and gazed at a picture of a smiling blond-haired, grey-eyed little girl and a laughing blond teenage guy with a long scar on his face. _I swear._


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi guys! This story has been so much fun to write, and _every_ single review is appreciated, whether just comments, telling me you like it, constructive criticism, ideas, or even saying you don't like a certain aspect of the story. I know I probably shouldn't have skipped over so much of their friendship (maybe I will add separate chapters later on more fluffy Percabeth moments) but for now this will be the last chapter (I think, though maybe an epilogue eventually might happen), so again, please read, review, etc., because it makes me _so_ happy and encouraged when people leave feedback. **

**This first part of the chapter is just mostly history explaining the background of Annabeth's feelings. If you don't like that stuff, just skip to the middle/end. If you do, read it, because personally I feel it ties up some loose ends pretty nicely. Tell me what you thought of the story, and if you want an epilogue or you like it how it is! :) Thanks so much!**

Annabeth sighed and set her final draft on her desk. May had come. The last few weeks of school were here, and she had _done_ _it_. She had applied to NYU for an architectural scholarship and had received the fatal envelope only that morning. Her grades, all in the upper 90%, had been more than enough to get her to qualify.

Her dream was coming true.

Her thoughts were flying everywhere as she chewed on the end of her pencil and gazed out her window at the skyscrapers lining her view, but mainly they were focused on two things: college, and Percy.

Percy. Over the school year she had grown closer and closer to the young man she had met on that fall day at Central Park, hanging out, working on homework together and just talking. They had met each other's friends, she had gone to his swim meets, they had been to each other's apartments – she had practically _lived_ in Percy's room during mid-terms – in short, done everything friends normally did. Heck, they had even gone on dates, if that was what one would call them.

But now – it was complicated. Annabeth's heart had been ice since her last relationship with a guy named Luke. She had known him since she was little, been good friends growing up, and when she was a sophomore he asked her out on their first date. Somehow they had seemed to fit perfectly together – people had thought they were the cutest couple, and Luke had been kind and thoughtful, even when his parents were going through a painful divorce.

 _So what went wrong?_ Annabeth asked herself, almost desperately.

Luke had changed, she knew. After the divorce he was never the same, moody and angry and bitter. His father rarely, if ever, contacted him in any way, and his mom was an alcoholic. Luke hadn't cared about her like he had, and Annabeth could tell.

And then one day Luke said the fateful line – "We need some time apart."

She had been in a daze, almost. She had known it was going to happen, known it for months, but it hit her _so hard._

Luke was breaking up with her. Luke, her almost-older brother as a toddler, her best friend as a child, her first love as a teenager.

Now her ex.

But Luke hadn't stopped there. He had torn her heart in two, brought her trust through the dirt and left it there. The day after their breakup strange rumors, spilling secrets that only Luke had known, had started circling the school about Annabeth, and Luke was seen making out with the cheer captain behind the gym.

Annabeth had cried for days, and after that she had sworn to not let anyone get close. If Luke had just simply been a boyfriend, maybe it wouldn't have been so hard. But this was _Luke,_ someone she had known pretty much since she was born. She had _trusted_ him, leaned on him, believed he would always be there for her.

And then he wasn't.

And then, the beginning of her senior year, she had met Percy. Percy, with his sea-green eyes and soft, shaggy black hair and amazing smile, the guy Annabeth had trouble even saying his name without feeling butterflies. Love at first sight? Impossible. Crush at first sight? Definitely.

She hadn't wanted anyone to get close. She had only focused on school. Scholarships. She had a goal, and she wasn't about to let anyone get near it (or her heart).

But now… now even her relationship with Percy was strange. Over the year they had become friends, even best friends. But hanging out had become strange and Percy's moods even stranger. Sometimes they were best friends; other times, like when he pressed a kiss to her forehead, or hugged her tightly as goodbye, or waved and watched her as she walked to her car… she would see or feel glints of something else. Something more.

But now Annabeth had to decide. If, and only if, that was what Percy truly wanted, would she be ok with it? Would she let another person get close to her, close enough to hurt her terribly if he chose?

She heard her bedroom door open and turned around. _Well, Annabeth, you're going to have to decide quickly._ "Hey, Perc," she greeted him, reaching for him, pulling him into a hug, but letting go quicker than normal.

"Hi," he murmured, dropping a quick kiss on the top of her blond head and then gestured to his backpack dumped unceremoniously on the floor. "Your dad let me in. What are we working on tonight?"

"Hmm, you choose," Annabeth hummed, sitting back down at her desk add feeling the customary blush adorn her cheeks. _Seriously Annabeth, get that flush into control,_ she commanded.

"Erm… how about AP American History? That's the easiest, I think."

"Spoken like a true procrastinator," she teased.

Instead of smiling at her gentle rubbing, he slumped onto her bed and put his head in his hands, something he only did when he was really upset about something. She knew then that it was more than school getting to him. "Percy, is anything wrong?"

"Had an argument with Jason today," he muttered, black head in his hands.

Jason. One of the best guy friends Percy had. "What was it about?" she asked quietly, knowing either he would spill it all now or not divulge anything until he was ready to talk more.

"You."

The answer was not exactly what she had expected. "M-me?" The butterflies turned to lions, roaring in worry. "Percy, what about me?"

"Annabeth…" he paused. "I've been needing to ask you because, well, you're pretty much the best friend I have and you're amazing but there always seems to be something eating at you when you're around me, and I'm… well, I don't know. I just want to know if there's anything you could tell me."

Annabeth brow contorted. How had he noticed? She had been a master at hiding her feelings. For years she had fooled her dad, her teachers, the few friends she had, into thinking that everything was fine. Nothing could ever hurt Annabeth. On the outside she was tough as nails.

But on the inside… well, Percy seemed to have sensed what was on the inside, and it scared her.

"Hey, you're my best friend too," she answered, flopping onto the bed nonchalantly. _Get a grip, Annabeth. Don't let him see. Don't let him know what you really feel like._ "And of course I'm always worrying about school and stuff."

"Besides that," Percy pleaded. "I know it's something else. Basically, Annabeth… well, I don't know how to ask you."

"Just ask me," Annabeth answered, trying to hide her shaking hands. Why did Percy affect her like this? Why did the slightest smile make her heart jump, the smallest frown make her insides shatter?

He took a deep breath. "Annabeth, have you ever been in a relationship before?"

 _Oh._ That was it. A relationship. As in a boyfriend and girlfriend. People who loved each other. Wait, _what?_ Annabeth completely and utterly panicked. She didn't tell her feelings to _anyone._ Not relatives, not friends, not anyone.

But - well, this was Percy. If she couldn't trust him, she couldn't trust anyone.

"Yeah. Yeah, I have." She turned away, but he gently pulled her around again to face him.

"And… and I'm guessing it didn't end well?" he prodded.

And that was how Annabeth Chase, the girl who never cried, never felt, never trusted, told Percy Jackson the whole painful story. Again she found herself rambling, and again, it wasn't anything she could stop.

When she had finished, Percy let all the air out of his body in one deep sigh. "So that's it," he said. "That's why every time I make a joke, you laugh, then stop as though reminding yourself something. Why every time I scoot closer to you, you move farther down. Why when I hug you, you pull away."

She nodded, letting a tear fall, then brushing it away, frustrated. But she also felt an odd moment of relief. So this was how it felt to pass on a load to someone else, to let someone help carry her burden. It felt… _exhilarating_.

"But what if I told you I'm not Luke?" he asked, very softly now. "What if I told you all guys are not the same?"

Annabeth felt her heart stop and her lungs constrict, and she was seeing a million different colors at once. "I think… I think I would believe you," she whispered.

He got to his feet and helped her stand. "Annabeth Chase, I love you."

And then her vision exploded, and she was seeing _way_ more than a million colors as she breathed, "I love you too."

And then Percy was taking a step forward, and his gaze was on her mouth and he cupped her cheek and she tangled her fingers in his hair, and then –

" _Darn it!"_ he yelled as he went sprawling, having tripped on his backpack on the floor.

She covered her mouth, exploding with helpless, breathless laughs as she picked him up. " _Honestly_ Percy – that was _smooth - seriously,_ you are such a _nut_ – here, you big dork, take my hand."

He was blushing brilliantly as he stood again. "Um, thanks." Percy nervously twisted the hem of his shirt, glancing at her with hope in his eyes. "Uh, aside from my random gravity check, I – well, I did mean what I said."

She could feel her cheeks hurting from smiling. "Yeah, I did too."

He took another step closer, and this time took a subtle glance at the ground to make sure he wouldn't trip. "Would you be my girlfriend?"

She giggled teasingly and put a finger on his nose. "Only if you're my boyfriend."

And then he really did kiss her, and Annabeth felt her heart break free, _completely free,_ of the hard, crusty shell she had carried for so long. She let go of Luke and ice and mistrust, because Percy was right. Not all guys were the same. Not everyone would break her trust.

And no, not everyone would start a first date by spilling hot coffee all over her. Not everyone would trip over his own schoolbooks on their first kiss.

But then again, not everyone was Percy.

And honestly, Annabeth wouldn't have it any other way.

 **Awww. *Much fangirling ensues because Percabeth is my OTP and it's so freaking fun to write AUs* Ahem. Anyway, thanks so much for reading this story! Also, I should probably mention that I have a really cool idea for a multi-chapter Harry Potter/Percy Jackson crossover which eventually I will sit down and write, so check my profile page pretty regularly for when I start that. However with school and all it might be a few weeks. Again, thanks and have a fantabulous day! :)**


End file.
